Nikolai Timofejev
15 years in FinTech and payments. Maps your business model to the right licence scope and leads the file all the way to the SCB decision, including banking and payment rails.
Get a forex license in the Bahamas.
The offshore jurisdiction that wrote retail CFDs into law: registration with the Securities Commission of The Bahamas under the Securities Industry Act, governed by dedicated CFD Rules - minimum retail margin of 0.5% (leverage to 200:1), negative balance protection by statute, segregated client funds and a reporting calendar. A real rulebook, not a vacuum.
27 yrs
on the international marketon the market
60+
in-house specialistsspecialists
400+
Licenses obtainedlicenses obtained
Updated
The Bahamas in brief
The offshore rulebook for retail CFDs.
The Bahamas took a path no other offshore centre chose: instead of leaving leveraged retail FX in a definitional grey zone, the Securities Commission wrote rules for it. Any person carrying on, providing or marketing CFDs in or from The Bahamas must be registered under the Securities Industry Act, and the Securities Industry (Contracts for Differences) Rules govern the product itself: retail margin of no less than 0.5% for major currency pairs, sovereign debt, major indices and gold - leverage capped at 200:1 - with 5% margin (20:1) for digital assets. Retail liability is limited by rule to the funds in the client's account - statutory negative balance protection - client funds are segregated and cannot be used by the firm, and CFD firms file quarterly and annual reports with trading statistics on prescribed forms.
Why that rulebook matters commercially: a Bahamian CFD registration is the offshore permission a bank, PSP or liquidity provider can actually read - margin floors, client-money rules and a reporting calendar in black letter, from a jurisdiction with a securities regulator of long standing, no corporate income tax and Nassau's financial-centre infrastructure. Capital runs on the Commission's risk-based formula for dealing firms rather than a single flat number, and the register is policed. The hard boundary is the usual one - no EU, UK or US retail, but for the global book, few offshore flags are easier to defend in a due-diligence questionnaire. We build the company, the registration file and the CFD compliance machinery end to end.
SCB registration under the Securities Industry Act with dedicated CFD Rules: retail margin ≥0.5% (200:1) on majors, 5% digital assets, statutory negative balance protection, segregated client funds, quarterly + annual CFD reports, risk-based capital formula.
The offshore flag a compliance officer can verify. No EU/UK retail - we pair with onshore licences where needed.
The two routes
The CFD dealer - standalone or full-scope.
The Rules recognise both builds: a firm registered exclusively for CFD dealing, or CFDs alongside broader securities business. We fix the scope first. It drives capital and reporting.
CFD-focused registration - or CFDs inside full securities scope.
01 - CFD-FOCUSED REGISTRATION
The CFD specialist
Registration limited to dealing in CFDs: the retail FX and CFD platform under the dedicated Rules - 200:1 leverage architecture, segregation, negative balance protection and the CFD reporting calendar.
Registration limited to dealing in CFDs: the retail FX and CFD platform under the dedicated Rules - 200:1 leverage architecture, segregation, negative balance protection and the CFD reporting calendar.
- ✓Dealing in CFDs - the dedicated scope
- ✓Retail margin ≥0.5% - up to 200:1
- ✓Digital-asset CFDs at 5% margin
- ✓Statutory negative balance protection
- ✓Segregated client funds
- ✓Quarterly + annual CFD reporting
02 - FULL SECURITIES SCOPE
CFDs + broader dealingThe full-scope firm
CFDs alongside wider securities business under the Securities Industry Act. The multi-product firm with the CFD Rules layered onto a broader registration, one regulator across the book.
Securities dealing + CFD permissions under one SCB architecture; risk-based capital; room to expand products.
- ✓Securities dealing + CFD permissions
- ✓One SCB registration architecture
- ✓Risk-based capital formula
- ✓Same segregation discipline
- ✓Room for product expansion
- ✓One compliance calendar
Costs and timelines are confirmed for your case before any work begins. Capital follows the Commission's prescribed formula for your scope; fees and substance are itemised in your quote.
Why the Bahamas
The flag with a rulebook behind it.
The Bahamas sells what most offshore flags cannot: written product rules a counterparty can check.
✓
Dedicated CFD Rules
Margin floors, segregation, NBP and reporting in black letter. The offshore registration a compliance officer can actually verify.Verifiable, not vague.
✓
200:1 with discipline
The 0.5% retail margin floor allows leverage the onshore world caps at 30:1. Inside a rulebook that keeps the offer defensible.A floor in black letter.
✓
Statutory client protection
Negative balance protection and untouchable segregated funds are rules, not marketing. Trust mechanics that sell to clients and PSPs alike.Trust as a rule.
✓
A regulator of standing
The SCB has supervised a genuine securities industry for decades. This is a financial centre with a register, not a plaque wall.Decades of register.
✓
No corporate income tax
The Bahamas levies no tax on corporate profits. VAT touches domestic supplies, and the state charges through fees.Fees, not rates.
✓
Nassau's infrastructure
Banks, trust companies, auditors and lawyers of a real financial centre. The operational hinterland an offshore broker actually needs.A working centre.
How it compares
How the Bahamas differs from other routes.
The comparison in plain terms: the most defensible offshore retail-CFD flag. Priced in compliance machinery, not capital walls.
Bahamas vs other jurisdictions
| Feature |  Bahamas | Other jurisdictions |
|---|---|---|
| Regime | SIA + dedicated CFD Rules | Definitional grey zones |
| Retail leverage | 200:1 - written floor | Uncapped or 30:1 |
| Client protection | NBP + segregation by rule | Policy, if any |
| Corporate tax | None | 3-30% spread |
Regime
BahamasSIA + dedicated CFD Rules
Other jurisdictionsDefinitional grey zones
Retail leverage
Bahamas200:1 - written floor
Other jurisdictionsUncapped or 30:1
Client protection
BahamasNBP + segregation by rule
Other jurisdictionsPolicy, if any
Corporate tax
BahamasNone
Other jurisdictions3-30% spread
Country by country
| Country | License type | Taxation | Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bahamas | SCB registration + CFD Rules | No corporate income tax | 0.5% margin floor, NBP, reports |
 BVI | FSC Category 1 dealing | No corporate income tax | Code capital, vetted people |
 Cayman Islands | CIMA SIB licence | No corporate income tax | CI$100k net worth, CI$10k annual |
 Belize | FSC Trading in Securities | Territorial business tax | US$500k capitalisation |
BahamasLicense typeSCB registration + CFD Rules
TaxationNo corporate income tax
Requirements0.5% margin floor, NBP, reports
BVILicense typeFSC Category 1 dealing
TaxationNo corporate income tax
RequirementsCode capital, vetted people
Cayman IslandsLicense typeCIMA SIB licence
TaxationNo corporate income tax
RequirementsCI$100k net worth, CI$10k annual
BelizeLicense typeFSC Trading in Securities
TaxationTerritorial business tax
RequirementsUS$500k capitalisation
Before you apply
Requirements for the Bahamas registration.Requirements for registration.
The Commission registers firms whose product mechanics already comply with the CFD Rules. The checklist below is what a passing file contains.
01
Bahamian company. Structured for securities business, with fit-and-proper owners to UBO level.
02
Registration scope. CFD-only or full securities dealing, fixed before drafting.
03
Regulatory capital. The Commission's prescribed formula computed for your scope and maintained continuously.
04
Margin architecture. Retail minimums of 0.5% (5% digital assets) engineered into the platform, not promised in policy.
05
Negative balance protection. Retail liability limited to account funds, implemented in the trading system.
06
Client fund segregation. Accounts separated per the regulations, never borrowed or used by the firm.
07
Business plan. The dealing model, flow economics and financials the Commission can interrogate.
08
Reporting machinery. Quarterly (30-day) and annual (120-day) CFD reports on the prescribed forms, owned from day one.
09
AML/CFT programme. KYC, screening and reporting under Bahamian AML law, with named officers.
10
Local presence. Registered office and the operational footprint the Commission's practice expects.
01
Bahamian company, fit owners.
02
Scope fixed. CFD or full.
03
Formula capital computed.
04
0.5% margins engineered.
05
NBP in the platform.
06
Segregation untouched.
07
Interrogable business plan.
08
Reports owned - 30/120 days.
09
AML with named officers.
10
Real Nassau footprint.
Reflects the Securities Industry Act and the Securities Industry (Contracts for Differences) Rules as of 2026.SIA + CFD Rules, as of 2026.
How it works
From first call to the SCB register.
01
Scope and strategy
CFD-only or full securities scope, product set and capital formula. Fixed in writing before any drafting.CFD or full - fixed.
02
Company and capital
Bahamian entity, the Commission's capital computation evidenced, people papers assembled.Formula evidenced.
03
Product compliance
Margin floors, NBP and segregation engineered into the platform. The Rules implemented, not promised.Implemented, not promised.
04
SCB review
Question rounds answered - 4-8 months realistic end to end.4-8 months realistic.
05
Registration and launch
Register entry, reporting calendar live, banking on. The defensible offshore flag at work.Calendar on, banking live.
Quick facts
RegulatorSCB
FrameworkSIA + CFD Rules
Retail margin - FX≥0.5% · 200:1
Digital assets≥5% · 20:1
Client protectionNBP by rule
Client fundsSegregated
ReportingQuarterly + annual
Realistic timeline4-8 months
The Commission registers products that already comply. Engineering the Rules into the platform before filing is the entire game, and our job.
On the ground in the Bahamas
Run from our Nassau office.
Prifinance - Bahamas
Nassau · Bahamas
Nassau, New Providence, Bahamas
01
Bahamian company formation
Incorporation, structure and the corporate layer the Commission expects. Built for registration from day one.Built for registration.
02
The SCB file
Business plan, capital computation, CFD-Rules compliance mapping. Drafted end to end and defended through the rounds.Rules-mapped, defended.
03
Product engineering
Margin floors, NBP and segregation implemented in the platform before filing. The Rules turned into system settings.Rules become settings.
04
Reporting calendar
The quarterly and annual CFD reporting machinery stood up with the registration. Owned as a calendar, not a scramble.A calendar, owned.
We also have offices in
Tallinn
Estonia
Roseni 13
Vilnius
Lithuania
Gedimino pr. 2
Prague
Czech Republic
Vlkova 532/8, Žižkov
Dubai
UAE
33 Level, Al Saqr Business Tower
London
United Kingdom
7 Bell Yard
Madeira
Portugal
Rua da Alegria 31, 1F
Istanbul
Turkey
Perpa Ticaret Merkezi, A Blok
Good to know
Taxation of forex brokers in the Bahamas.
No corporate income tax. The fiscal layer is fees and domestic VAT, with planning shifted to the owners' level.
No corporate income tax
The Bahamas levies no tax on corporate profits. The dealing book's P&L is a business question, not a computation.P&L keeps itself.
No capital gains or withholding
No CGT, no withholding on dividends, interest or fees. Distributions are transfers, not filings.Transfers, not filings.
VAT on domestic supplies
Bahamian VAT touches local goods and services. The international dealing book of an FX broker sits largely outside it.Book sits outside.
Business licence fees
The state charges through business licence and registration fees. Predictable line items, itemised in your quote.Predictable lines.
Substance as strategy
Real Nassau presence satisfies the Commission and the jurisdiction's substance expectations. One investment, several masters.One spend, many masters.
Owner-level planning
Zero local profit tax moves the modelling to shareholders' jurisdictions. CFC and residency rules above the entity set the outcome.CFC modelled above.
Tax summary
Corporate income taxNone
Capital gains taxNone
Withholding taxesNone
VATDomestic supplies
State chargesLicence + registration fees
*As of 2026. Owner-level CFC and residency outcomes are modelled per structure.
Turnkey professional support
Experienced lawyers and international consultants.
We provide end-to-end support, from company registration and the application file to regulatory interaction and compliance oversight - with an individualized approach to each client.
Oleksii Kindratenko
Builds the application itself: Bahamian company, AML/KYC policy pack, capital structure and tax registrations. His document sets are the reason reviews finish in months, not years.
Eugeniu Bevziuc
First point of contact for international founders. Runs the whole setup remotely, across time zones and languages - from the first call to a live, registered dealer.
Follow Prifinance
Active across our channels.
Bahamas · SCB
Launch your forex project in the Bahamas with expert support.
Full-service assistance - from incorporation to SCB registration, CFD-Rules product engineering and the reporting calendar - run through our Nassau office.
Get a consultation →Free legal opinion
Is the Bahamas the right fit for your project?
Our legal team will analyze your case at no cost and provide a written legal opinion: which jurisdiction, licence scope, or route fits your business.
Written assessment within 2-5 business days
Request a free conclusion →FAQ
The Bahamas forex licence - the questions we hear.
What licence does a forex broker need in the Bahamas?+
Registration with the Securities Commission of The Bahamas under the Securities Industry Act - anyone carrying on, providing or marketing CFDs in or from The Bahamas must be registered - with the dedicated CFD Rules governing the product.
What leverage can be offered?+
The Rules set retail minimum margins: 0.5% for major currency pairs, sovereign debt, major indices and gold - leverage up to 200:1, and 5% (20:1) for digital-asset CFDs. Professional clients sit outside the minimums.
What client protections are mandatory?+
By rule: a retail client's liability is limited to the funds in their account (negative balance protection), and client funds are segregated and cannot be borrowed or used by the firm - implemented in the platform, not merely stated in terms.
What capital is required?+
The Rules require adequate financial resources computed under the Commission's prescribed capital formula for your scope - a risk-based figure rather than a flat number. We compute it with you before filing.
What reporting does a CFD firm file?+
Quarterly reports within 30 days of quarter-end and annual reports within 120 days of year-end on the prescribed CFD forms - trading statistics and compliance certifications. The calendar is stood up with the registration.
How long does registration take?+
Realistically 4-8 months end to end including company formation, product engineering to the Rules and the Commission's question rounds - a platform that already complies is the main speed lever.
Can a Bahamian registration serve EU, UK or US retail?+
No - ring-fenced retail markets need their own licences. The Bahamian book is the global one; groups pair the registration with onshore entities where regulated retail matters, and we structure both ends.
How are Bahamian brokers taxed?+
There is no corporate income tax, capital gains tax or withholding - VAT applies to domestic supplies and the state charges through business-licence and registration fees. Owner-level rules set the group outcome.
Bahamas or the pure zero-rulebook flags?+
The Bahamas costs more compliance machinery and returns a registration counterparties can verify against written rules - margin floors, NBP, segregation, reports. In due-diligence questionnaires, that difference is the licence. We model it against your banking needs.
Why Prifinance for the Bahamas?+
A Nassau presence, the CFD Rules engineered into platforms before filing, the reporting calendar owned from day one and both ends of the group structured under one roof.
What licence?+
SCB registration + CFD Rules.
Leverage?+
200:1 majors; 20:1 digital.
Protections?+
NBP + segregation by rule.
Capital?+
Commission's formula.
Reports?+
Quarterly + annual forms.
How long?+
4-8 months realistic.
EU retail?+
No - global book.
Taxes?+
None on profits.
Vs no-rulebook flags?+
Verifiability is the licence.
Why you?+
Rules into settings, one roof.
Client notes
Google4.7★★★★★
Founders who wanted it done right.
Google4.7★★★★★
“As a software development crew at FewMoreTaps OÜ, we've had the pleasure of working with Prifinance on some key financial moves.First of all, navigating the world of corporate banking and finance can be a maze, but Prifinance made it feel like a walk in the park. They helped us set up a corporate bank account without the hassle of jumping on a plane or drowning in paperwork. Everything was done remotely, smoothly…”
Google
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Google
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Google
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Google
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Get a free legal opinion on your project - our legal team will analyze your case at no cost and provide a written legal opinion: which jurisdiction, licence scope, or route fits your business.Free legal opinion: which Bahamas route fits your project and what it will cost.
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Prifinance is an independent law and advisory firm. We are not a regulator and are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of the Securities Commission of The Bahamas (SCB) or any other public authority. Authorisations are granted by, and obtained directly from, the competent authorities.